Empty Gold
by DarkMoon1301
Summary: It takes her 15 years, and it only takes that long because between her own kids and the school, she's a little busy. Truthfully, she started the minute it became clear he planned to sacrifice himself. It wasn't just that she couldn't watch him die… she was hoping to stop it. But sometimes the timing is off, so she adjusts and searches for a way to bring him back instead.
1. Chapter 1

It takes her 15 years, and it only takes that long because between her own kids and the school, she's a little busy. Truthfully, she started the minute it became clear he planned to sacrifice himself. It wasn't just that she couldn't watch him die… she was hoping to stop it. But sometimes the timing is off, so she adjusts and searches for a way to bring him back instead.

She doesn't tell Hope – she doesn't want her to become too optimistic, just in case. But Caroline is, well, Caroline, and she doesn't half ass anything. She talks to dozens of witches, conducts thousands of hours of research. If she's learned anything in her immortal life, it's that the impossible is always possible. And it's that determination that helps her find the witch who tells her it can be done.

Caroline was expecting to find her deep in some jungle or on some nondescript island. But life never ceases to throw Caroline for a loop, and she finds the witch in Oxford. She's powerful, but not incredibly well known so she's been able to hide herself well. Her skill comes from her profession – she's a physics professor and researcher, and uses it to add layers to the magic. After all, even magic has to obey some laws.

The first person she calls is Rebekah. Thanks to Hope, they've kept in touch. After all, someone needed to come to parent teacher conferences, and it turns out they can get along pretty well when they're on the same side.

Rebekah picks up after the first ring. "This has better be good, because I'm about to indulge in my favorite Italian and I hate interruptions."

"I found it. I can bring him back." She hears Rebekah take a sharp breath, and her voice has the slightest shake to it when she responds.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Caroline is confident, voice assured. "How soon can you be in Mystic Falls?"

"I'm leaving now," Rebekah replies, and Caroline can hear her moving quickly. "Where are you?"

"England."

"We'll pick you up on the way. See you soon."

It takes a couple of hours, and Rebekah, Marcel, and Caroline are on their way back across the pond. Even with advancements in technology, the flight will still take a few hours, so Rebekah asks Caroline to explain how this is possible and how to do it.

Caroline thoughtfully sips her red wine. "I found the witch at Oxford, teaching physics. She's also a part time researcher." Rebekah raises her eyebrows. "Yeah, I was surprised, too. Anyway, everyone I had talked to said she was capable of unique pieces of magic, things that aren't normally done. She's got a skill to craft the spells. Basically, she said it's possible to bring him back by weaving the magic with the elements of physics."

Marcel raised an eyebrow. "What in the world does that mean? I mean, if there's no Other Side, where can they bring him back from?"

Caroline replied, "That's what I asked. She said it comes back to one of the most basic laws of physics – energy is neither created nor destroyed. And the entire universe is made of energy. We as individuals are unique combinations of that energy, so by honing in on it, you can essentially rebuild the person you are reviving. We can capture their energy from the universe."

Marcel and Rebekah were silent, trying to make sense of what Caroline was saying. "If that's possible, how come we haven't heard of it before?" Rebekah asked. "Surely someone would have done it."

Caroline smiled. "As always with practically anything connected with Klaus, it takes unique circumstances." Rebekah smiled at that – Caroline wasn't exactly wrong. "You need a blood relative, which is where you come in, and a direct descendant. The direct descendant shares the most genetic material with the individual – exactly half. Really, half their energy is that of their parent. The blood relative helps fill in the gaps. How many vampires do you know of with direct descendants? That's why it hasn't been done often. Really, I think it's mostly theory, but it seems sound to me. After all, what is there to lose?"

"Indeed," Rebekah quietly mused.

The rest of the flight is silent, each lost in their own thoughts. No one wants to get too optimistic. During the drive from the airport to Mystic Falls, they hash out the details.

"So when is this all gonna go down?" Marcel asks.

"Full moon, as always." Caroline laughs.

"Ah yes, so original!" Marcel comments. "My apologies for thinking we were going for something unique." His smile is contagious, and soon Caroline and Rebekah are both laughing with him, but they soon quiet.

"Hope will be the one to do the spell. The witch wrote it out for her. I think we should do it at the old Mikaelson mansion. We don't know what he'll be like when he wakes up."

Rebekah glances at Caroline, who is laser focused on the road. "When? You're awfully confident."

Caroline gives her a rare moment of heartfelt honesty. "I have to be Rebekah. I refuse to believe that I'll never get him back. However long it takes."

Rebekah recognizes the words she's seen on some of Nik's drawings and paintings of Caroline, and she puts her hand on Caroline's shoulder, trying to convey that she understands. Caroline gives her a small smile.

Marcel is quiet when he speaks. "This will work. I can feel it."

They pull up to the mansion where Hope is waiting for them. Rebekah had called her during the drive, explaining that they needed to speak with her urgently. As they climb out of the car, Hope is surprised to see Caroline.

"Ms. Forbes, what're you doing here? I thought you were traveling looking for new students."

Caroline walks around the car and stands in front of Hope. She smiles. "Not quite. Once upon a time, your dad promised to be my last love. I found a way to make sure he keeps his promise." Caroline can see the confusion in Hope's eyes slowly morph into a shaky optimism.

"You mean?" Caroline nods. "You can really bring him back?"

"You can. You and Rebekah. I found a witch who wrote it all out, and Rebekah will be able to explain it to you. If you need anything, you can call me."

Hope looks puzzled. "Where are you going?" Rebekah and Marcel come to stand beside Hope.

"I'm going to go see my girls, and a few other people. Besides, you should be the first person he sees when he wakes up. He and I will talk eventually." Caroline turns to Rebekah. "You have my cell if you need anything."

Rebekah reaches out to her, and gives her a rare hug. "Thank you," she whispers. They separate, and Caroline gets in the car and drives away.

Hope turns to her aunt. "Why won't she stay?"

"She's right – your dad will want to see you first. But, Caroline's also nervous." They begin to walk up the steps into the house. "I don't think she ever told Nik how much she truly cared for him. And I don't think she ever truly grieved his loss." The came to the door, and Hope was silent.

"She was searching for a way to bring him back all this time?" Her aunt nodded and Hope looked thoughtful. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

It doesn't take long to perform the spell. Something about energy and the four winds, Rebekah hears. Hope is strong, and this was a big spell, but she does well. It took 18 hours for the energy to slowly stitch Klaus back together. It's another five before he begins to stir. Tears gather in Hope and Rebekah's eyes, and Marcel is holding Rebekah's hand so hard she thinks her bones are probably cracking.

Klaus's eyes slowly open. Hope lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding and grasps his hand even tighter, sobbing when the hand squeezes back. It worked. Somehow, it worked.

"Dad?" Her voice is watery and shaky and this isn't how she imagine she'd meet him again, but she doesn't care.

Her dad smiles. "Hello, sweetheart."


	2. Chapter 2

It took for actual ever, but I finally wrote a second part after multiple requests. Enjoy!

Much love,

DM 1301

" _You mean?" Caroline nods. "You can really bring him back?"_

" _You can. You and Rebekah. I found a witch who wrote it all out, and Rebekah will be able to explain it to you. If you need anything, you can call me."_

 _Hope looks puzzled. "Where are you going?" Rebekah and Marcel come to stand beside Hope._

" _I'm going to go see my girls, and a few other people. Besides, you should be the first person he sees when he wakes up. He and I will talk eventually." Caroline turns to Rebekah. "You have my cell if you need anything."_

 _Rebekah reaches out to her, and gives her a rare hug. "Thank you," she whispers. They separate, and Caroline gets in the car and drives away._

Caroline does as she says; she sees her girls. They've both grown up and now have families of their own, so Caroline enjoys a couple of hours with her grandbabies. She visits the school and checks in with Ric – even after all this time, he's still the headmaster, though he'll have to find someone else soon. As much as Caroline would love to stay and serve as headmistress, the fact that she doesn't age will be an issue until a new generation of Mystic Falls grows up.

After checking in, Caroline takes a walk through the woods and ends up at the tree. Their tree. Even after all this time, that afternoon hasn't left her head. She can't stop thinking about the way their lovemaking made her feel so incredibly cherished and loved, not to mention just how mind blowing it was. She knew, even then, that if she let it happen, he'd be her forever. And that's what was so absolutely terrifying about him. He'd made it clear he'd never hurt her, that one incident after Kol's death aside (and to be fair, his brother had just died so, you know, emotional distress and all). Caroline never could bring herself to feel a fear of death from him, but a fear of life? That's a whole other ball game. Being confronted with eternity at seventeen was a big pill to swallow. Being confronted with eternity with the most powerful man on Earth… well, that was practically impossible to imagine, let alone digest. Klaus had her pegged from the start; she liked being strong, ageless, fearless. She longed to see the world and to learn and explore.

Caroline sat down at the trunk of their tree. For fifteen years now, she'd been running. Running to a solution to his death, running from the unexpected and all consuming grief, running from a world without him in it. Tears started to roll down Caroline's face. She hadn't expected the grief to consume her as it did when he died. She had gotten to the point where she couldn't imagine life without him, and when she thought of her future, she knew he was woven into it somewhere. However, she had ignored the grief. She'd pushed it to the side. She refused to turn off her emotions like after her mother had died. She was going to fix it, she was going to bring him back or she'd die trying because that's what Caroline did – she was a fixer. But now, it was out of her hands, and fifteen years of grief let itself out.

Klaus hadn't imagined the afterlife to be as it was. Surprisingly, he hadn't ended up in a firey underworld as he'd expected. He'd ended up in a wooded area not unlike Mystic Falls, and found his brother Elijah there along with some other familiar faces. It was comforting, but overall the afterlife was quite boring. Occasionally, he'd look in on his family from the great beyond (honestly, he hadn't expected all that trite drivel about looking down on your loved ones to be true, but here he is doing that very thing). He watches as Hope grows up happy and healthy for the most part. He sees that she misses him, and it tugs on his heart. He looks in on Rebekah, and figures out that she hasn't taken the cure yet, which leaves him curious. He looks in on everyone, with the exception of Caroline. He looked in on her once, and it didn't go well. She had been captured by a group of people (witches, probably) and was having an argument about them completing a spell. He wasn't sure what, but he knew Caroline wasn't winning the argument. She eventually got free, but Klaus decided he'd keep his check ins to a minimum – it hurt his heart too much to know he couldn't protect her.

Over the years, Klaus had gotten used to his routine. Then, one day, he had the strange sensation of being ripped apart and stitched back together all at once. It was agony, even for someone as used to physical pain as he. Worse still, he wasn't sure what was happening. As he lay screaming, Elijah sat next to him. Klaus couldn't concentrate on what he was saying, but he caught pieces. Something about "bringing you back" and "say hello for me." Klaus didn't care, he just wanted the pain to stop. And, miraculously, after hours and hours, it did.

The first thing he recalls is feeling heavy. He drifts in and out of alertness, catching bits and pieces. "Do you think it worked?" "Why has it been so long?" "I wonder if he's learned some manners while he's been away." That last one almost sounds like Rebekah, but Klaus doesn't think that could be. However, as he slowly comes into full consciousness, he can identify Rebekah, Marcel, and Hope. He doesn't move just yet, but listens to try and ascertain the situation.

"It's been a long time, Aunt Rebekah," Hope says, worry tingeing her voice. "Do you think I messed it up?"

"No," he hears Rebekah answer. "Caroline mentioned it may take a long time due to the complexity of the magic." Caroline? Now that's interesting, and Klaus files that away for later.

"Still, I think Dad should be waking up by now." Hope sniffles, holding back tears.

"Soon darling, soon." Rebekah comforts her, her own voice thick with tears.

Klaus decides that he should make his presence known, and manages to slowly open his eyes. It's blinding. He feels a hand in his, and he squeezes it. Suddenly, a face fills his line of sight.

"Dad?" Hope's voice is watery and shaky, but so full of hope that he can't help but smile.

"Hello, sweetheart." He's rewarded by an armful of his daughter suddenly on top of him, sobbing into his chest and clutching his neck. He puts his arms around her tightly, holding her close.

Eventually, he sits up, still holding his daughter, and sees Rebekah looking at him with tears rolling down her face. Marcel is behind her, a hand on her shoulder, smiling. Hope pulls back, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I can't believe it worked! I've missed you so much, Dad." Klaus smiles, and feels as though his heart is about to burst from being able to hold his daughter after so long.

"And I you, sweetheart. Though I must admit, I didn't think I'd be seeing you again for centuries, if ever." He looks at Rebekah, tears running down her face and her eyes bright. She looks as beautiful as always, and the sight of her means more to him than he ever thought possible. "Hello, sister."

Rebekah smiles. "Hello, Nik." Their expressions tell each other more than words ever could, and after a tender moment, Rebekah stands. "Well, now that you have successfully been raised from the dead, let's get you some clothing." Klaus looks down, and notices there's only a sheet on him. A quick glance around the room tells him he's in the Mikaelson mansion in Mystic Falls, which is somehow in livable condition. Interesting, and another fact he'll file for later. Rebekah sets some clothes next to him, and pulls Hope up. "Come on darling, let your father get decent and then I'm sure he'll want to know all about how we brought him back." Everyone leaves the room, giving Klaus a moment to take it all in.

He takes a deep breath. He certainly never expected this to happen, and he's interested to find out the details as to why. Perhaps there's some new, massive threat plaguing the world that made it necessary to bring him back. He puts on the denims, Henley, and jacket that his sister provided. Ever the fashionista, Rebekah makes sure the clothes are exactly his style. He can hear everyone in the kitchen, and heads that direction. He walks into the room, and casually leans against the counter. Rebekah and Hope are on the other side of the island between them, and Marcel is standing at the end.

Klaus decides to just jump right into it. "So, how is it that I am back on this plane? Some new crisis, perhaps?" He smirks, trying to hide his nervousness.

"Not exactly," Hope says. Klaus raises an eyebrow. Hope leans forward, placing her hands on the counter. "Caroline found a way to bring you back, but she didn't elaborate on why." Hope scrunches her eyebrows. "There are no threats that I know of."

Rebekah huffs a small laugh. "There's no threat for you to take care of, Nik. You'll have to talk to Caroline specifically about why she decided to bring you back, but you should know that she started looking for a way since the second you made the decision to die."

Klaus is floored by Rebekah's statement. Everything in him feels tossed upside down. After a full minute, he finally says, "I don't understand."

Rebekah takes a deep breath. "When you decided to die, Caroline didn't want to be there. Not because she couldn't handle your death, but because she was trying to find a way to stop it altogether. Obviously, she couldn't, so she decided to just find a way to bring you back to life. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how she did it, but she left everything behind to do it. She's been working on it for the past fifteen years. We've helped her as we were able, but she was very secretive about it for the most part."

Klaus is absolutely speechless. His emotions feel all over the place. He's happy to be with his family, confused by Caroline's actions, and cautiously optimistic that she may have stronger feelings for him than he suspected. Finally, he finds his voice.

"It seems I need to speak with Caroline. Where might I find her?"

"She said she'd be in the place where you made your promise. I assume you know where that is."

Klaus smiles. "Yes, I believe I do."

"Before you go, Dad, you should know something. In order to bring you back to life, the witch who gave us the spell required that your life be tied to someone else's as part of the balance, or whatever, since you used the last of the white oak."

His stomach knots itself, and his mind almost immediately jumps to contingency plans. "Well I assume it was successful since I have returned, though it certainly is an issue. Who is it?"

"Caroline."

After crying herself out, Caroline spends the night at the boarding house (because full moons and vampires don't tend to mix well) but makes sure that once daylight hits, she's back in their spot. She doesn't want to miss him. She thinks about what she may say to him, what it will be like to see his blue eyes staring into hers again. She's sitting against their tree when she hears leaves crunching, and she slowly stands. Her heart feels like it's going to beat out of her chest. The footsteps come to a stop, and she turns around, and there he is. She takes a deep, shuddering breath, and she feels like a piece of her heart has come back. Uncharacteristically for her, she feels vulnerable, but he's always been able to bring out those parts of herself, and she feels tears welling up.

He's dressed almost the same as she last saw him. As always, his stance is confident, but something in his eyes tells her he's nervous. He smiles softly, unusual for him, but it melts her heart. "Hello, Caroline." And before she can stop herself, she's running and crashing into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and sobbing into his chest. He freezes for a moment, but recovers and wraps his arms around her tight, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling deeply. She smells the same and she did fifteen years ago – vanilla, with a hint of citrus to match her sunshine personality. He murmurs to her, trying to calm her hysterical crying, but it takes a few minutes. Caroline is pretty sure he thinks she's gone certifiably crazy in the time he's been gone as she calms her sniffles.

She pulls back from him and gives him a watery smile. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm more emotional than I thought."

Klaus brings his hand to her face to wipe away the last of her tears and gives her a small smile. "I find myself incapable of telling you what this has meant to me. But I have a multitude of questions that need answering."

"I figured you did." Caroline lowers herself to the ground, pulling Klaus down with her. They sit next to each other, her with her knees pulled to her chest and he stretched out along the ground. "What do you want to know?"

Klaus smirks. "Well, the obvious, naturally. Why? I tried asking Rebekah but she said there were no terror threats and I must ask you directly."

Caroline laughs nervously. "Just going to jump right in then? Well okay." She takes a deep breath and rocks back and forth a bit. "When you… died… I wasn't there. Not because I didn't want to not be there for you, but because I was trying to stop it, and I really thought I could." Her throat gets thick with tears, and she has to clear it. "Right after, I refused to believe that you could be gone. I mean, you're Klaus for crying out loud," she remarks, throwing her hands up. "You're this unstoppable force and I just… couldn't imagine a world without you in it." She looks at him, and he feels as though his heart may stop for the emotion in her eyes. "I couldn't imagine my world without you in it." He takes a sharp breath, and makes to reach for her, but she looks away and continues. "It took a while, and a lot of digging, but I found a witch who thought there was a way."

"And nothing stops Caroline Forbes when she has a goal, hm?" Klaus says knowingly. Caroline laughs.

"Something like that." She reaches out to cup his cheek, and he feels his heart stutter. That damned thing will kill him again at the rate it's going. "I've had a lot of time to think about what I want from my eternity. I took too long the first time around, and you were taken from me. I won't make that mistake again." His hand covers hers.

"Caroline, I never imagined I'd hear you say those words, and I find myself in a torrent of emotion that I am not used to. But are you sure? Death has not changed me – I am still the man I was, the terrible and the ugly included. I cannot promise you the life you deserve, but- "

Caroline's hand covers his mouth. "I'm going to stop you right there. I stand by what I said fifteen years ago – you may be the villain, but you are not the villain in my story." Klaus takes her hand and kisses it. "If you meant what you said all those years ago, at my graduation… then you're it for me Klaus. However long it took, you're it for me." Klaus's heart nearly stops at hearing his words repeated back at him, and he can't stop himself from sitting up, taking her lovely face in his hands, and kissing her. Her lips are soft against his, and it feels like coming home. All of his senses are alive and he feels electric.

His lips hit hers, and she feels a piece of her come alive that she thought had died long ago. She sees stars, she hears fireworks, and at the same time she feels the peace that comes with finding the one whom her soul yearns for. She's found home.

He pulls away from her. "I never imagined I'd hear you say that, love. I recognize the gift and the trust you have given me, and I swear to you, I will never forget it. But I do have one small problem." Caroline's face falls. "I'm told you bound your life to mine to make this resurrection possible?"

Caroline lets out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Is that it?"

Klaus raises his eyebrows. "Sweetheart, I find this deeply troubling. We need to find a witch to fix this – I will not have your life at risk. It is unacceptable."

"And here I thought you'd have more of a problem with it because people could kill you by killing me."

Klaus fixes her with a stare that stops her heart. "Caroline, I have no intention of living in this world without you."

Caroline is speechless, and her mind whirs with the knowledge that she has perhaps underestimated the depth of his feelings for her. She takes a deep breath before responding. "Then maybe you can understand why I don't mind my life being bound to yours." Klaus's breath catches in his throat, and he isn't sure what to say to that. At this rate, he may drop dead because Caroline is giving him more heart stopping revelations than he ever thought possible.

Caroline smiles at him, and he decides the best course of action is to kiss her again. He fully intends to remind her of the significance of the tree they're under before it's all said and done.

They both know this road will be difficult. They're both not easy people, and the dangerous world they live doesn't help that. But they crossed life and death to be together, and have found a love neither one of them felt possible. They both have suffered hurt, loss, and loneliness, feeling their hearts freeze over time. But here, now, they feel born anew like the spring, and no longer empty.


End file.
